Rescue flight from Haiti carrying 14 people, including 12 Floridians, lands in Sanford

SANFORD, Fla. - Fourteen people, including 12 Floridians, are back on U.S. soil after a rescue flight from Haiti landed in Sanford, Florida, on Wednesday evening. 

The flight, carrying eight children and six adults of the same family, arrived at Orlando Sanford International Airport about 7 p.m. Family members awaiting their arrival reunited with them inside the airport's baggage claim, where the evacuees were met with resources.

"It took a couple of tries, and they didn't give up. They stayed with us until the end of the mission, which I can happily say was mission accomplished," Philippe Armand said.

He and Olivia Turnier were reunited with two-year-old Julien after waiting several weeks for him and his relatives to arrive. 

"The very difficult part was getting around and making it to the airport … to fly out," Armand said, speaking on behalf of those aboard the flight.

Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, teared up when asked what it was like to see these families reunite. 

"There's nothing more gratifying as an EM director than to see that. That's what it's all about," he said.

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The flight of 12 Floridians and two others doing business in Florida was supposed to take off from Haiti and land in Sanford on Tuesday, but the situation on the ground was too volatile.

Guthrie described the conditions in Haiti as "worse than a war zone."

"It was actually easier to get people in and out of Israel than it is to get people in and out of Haiti," he said. 

As of Wednesday evening, nearly 400 Floridians stuck in Haiti have requested evacuation via an online form managed by Florida. 

Guthrie hopes, in collaboration with the state's partners in both Florida and Haiti, they'll be able to get them out in the coming days.

"It is a very fluid situation. It is a very dangerous situation," he said.

Four flights are scheduled to depart Haiti for Sanford on Thursday, carrying aboard roughly 115 Floridians. However, the state is facing challenges as the power of the gangs in Haiti continues to grow, so there's a possibility those flights won't take off as planned.

"After we dumped everybody off and got them onto the other plane, they tried to surround the helicopter. The helicopter had to take off in a manner that was just, I don't want to say unsafe, but again, the tower told him he may not be able to land there again," Guthrie said.

To combat this, state leaders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have requested that the Dominican Republic, which neighbors Haiti, allow their helicopters to land within its borders. Guthrie says that a response to that request has yet to be received.

The Division of Emergency Management last week launched an online portal for Floridians and Americans looking to leave Haiti amid the nation’s escalating instability. Since Saturday, the U.S. government has arranged charter flights from Haiti to the U.S. for people with valid passports. 

The flights come as the state has increased deployments of law-enforcement officers, National Guard members, and State Guard members to South Florida in anticipation of a surge in migrants from Haiti.

MORE: Winter Park church raises money for Haiti relief

Haiti has seen a significant escalation in violence after gangs overran the capital of Port-au-Prince, resulting in the resignation of its prime minister. They burned police stations and ransacked the main airport, plunging the country into anarchy, FOX News Digital reported. 

The gangs have reportedly also been responsible for raiding some of the Caribbean nation's largest prisons, freeing thousands of inmates.

FOX News Digital reported that nearly 1.4 million people in the nation are on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million need help accessing food. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.